The present invention relates to a bearing assembly and, more particularly, to a bearing race assembly which can be used to accommodate relative swiveling between connected fluid pipes or conduits in a fluid swivel joint.
Swivel joints are used to connect fluid pipes in oilfields and in other applications. Swivel joints are generally comprised of interfitting male and female members rotatably interconnected by a bearing assembly. Typically, inner and outer grooves are incorporated in the male and female members to form a bearing race and a plurality of ball bearings are housed within the race. Higher demand for compatibility with increased service pressure, wider operating temperature range, and greater variety of corrosive chemicals has resulted in swivel joint designs with multiple bearing races rather than one bearing race. Even with multiple bearing races high pressures can sometimes cause deformation or brinelling of ball races. Such brinelling relaxes seal compression and causes the seal to leak, preventing the swivel joint from swiveling smoothly under pressure and reducing race life significantly. Swivel joints are subject to other modes of failure as well under such conditions.